Improvement in pumps for oil-wells



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM H. ELLIOT, OF PLATTSBURG, NEI/V YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPS FOR O|L-WELLS.

Specification forming part of lLetters Patent No. 33,736, dated November 19, 1861.

To a'Z whom it may concern:

Improved Oil-Well Pump; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same devices in all the figures.

To enable others skilled in the arts to coinprehend, make, and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its nature, construction, and operation.

The nature of my 4invention consists in employing an inner well or trapbelow and in connection with the pump used in pumping oil-wells, into which the liquids, oil, and water fall, and so separate themselves by their specilic gravity from the gases which rise with them and out of which these liquids are drawn by the suction-pipe of the pump.

It further consists in providinga balanced float-valve for the purpose of closing and opening the pipe through which the gases escape from the well.

Figure l is asection of myimproved pump and Vof that portion of an oil-well which contains the pump. Fig. 2 is an elevation ot' the inner well. Fig. 3 is a section of an inner well, with a series of traps surrounding it to l facilitate the separation of the liquids vfrom the gases. Fig. at is a section of the oil-well, innerv well, and suction-pipe. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a balanced iioating valve closing the gas-escape pilt e.

d is the oil-well; a', a portion of the oilwell barreled out for the purpose ot' obtaining` more room within the well; b, pumpcylinder; c, lower valve; d, upper or piston valve; e, suction-pipe; jinnerwell; g, openings in the walls ot' the inner well, through which the liquids pass; h, screw-fastening of the inner well to the suction-pipe; t', arrows showing the direction of the liquids in passing into the inner well; j, arrows showing direction ot' the liquids in passing from the inner well into the suction-pipe; 7n, ioating valve; Z, escape-pipe for gases; m, openings into the same, which are closed by the floating valve lc when it is raised by the Water; n, arrow showing the direction of the gases; o and p, packing, which separatesA the upper from the lower portions of the well; r, traps surrounding the inner well to facilitate the separation of the liquids Aand gases; s, openings t'rom the bottom of the same into the inner well.

One of the great difficulties to be met with in working oil-wells arises from the presence of large quantities of gas rising with the water and oil, and thisdificulty has become so serious in some casesas to render even the richest Wells entirely useless. l

The object of my improvements in oil-well pumps is to effectaperfect separation ot' the liquids from the gases and bring them to the surface of the earth through different channels, and this object is effected in the following manner: As the gases and the liquids i rise together around the inner well the liquids pass through the openings and fall to the bottom of the inner well,while the gases continue to rise and pass out through the escape-pipe l; which leads to the top ot' the well. rlhe liquids thus separated from the gases by gravitation are taken from the inner well by the suction-pipe e. It is obvious that while there is any liquid in the inner well no gas can pass into the pump. The object of placing a valve upon the lower end of the escapepipe Z is to prevent the liquids from passing into that pipe when there is no gas present. Then the liquids riseto the valve they fioat itand cause it to slide over the openings fm, so as to close the escape-pipe to the passage of liquids. The presence of gasat the valve causes the liquids to fall, and thus opens the escape-pipe ZA to the passage ot' gas. The packings o and p are intended to cut off that portion of the well which is above the pump from that portion which is below it, so that the pump may bring out nothing except what comes into the well below it.

Having thus fully described my improved oil-well pump, what I claim as myinvention, and wish to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment of an inner wellor trap in combination with the pump, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The employment of tloating valve lo in combination with the pump, as and for the purpose set forth.

Plattsburg, New York, October 9, 1861.

WVM. H. ELLIOT. Witnesses:

C. HALsEY, JAs. H. CARTER. 

